Safety starting-crank.



J. DANIEL.

SAFETY STARTING CRANK.

APPUCATION FILED MML15, 1916.-

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I l I I l J. DANIEL SAFETY STARTING CRANK. APPLICATION manMAR. 15. ms.

Patented Dec, 11, 19W.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- J. DANIEL.

SAFETY STARTING CRANK. APPLICA ION FILED MAR.15, I916.

Patented 11m 11, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

gaging the coupling head 13 and the latter for turning the engine shaft.Between the collar 17 and the ratchet disk 21 the -start-.

7 ing shaft 14 is loosely, fitted in a starting frame 24 which ismovable with the starting shaft in its sliding movements toward and awayfrom the crank shaft of the engine but is incapable ofturning. For thispurpose the "starting frame 24 may have arms 25 with reduced endsslidably fitting in horizontal slots of brackets 26 which are adapted to'besecured tothe automobile frame 16 or other suitable support.

A stud 27 projects from the starting frame 24 andhas pivotally mountedon it acam r member 28 which is held in a normalpositionby a springpressed dog 29 on the frame 24 engaging a notchl30 in a flange 31-thereof Pivotally mounted in a recess or open:

ing through the cam member 28 is a pawl 32 which is normally pressed bya coil spring 33"into.engagement with ratchet teeth 34 formed on theratchet disk 21, the shape'of v the ratchet teeth and the end of thepawl be-,

ing suc'hthat they offer no obstruction to the turning of theratch'etdisk in one'direction, the direction for starting the engine,

but oppose the turning of the ratchet disk in theopposite direction. Theopposition of This swinging movement of the cam mcm-' bercarries theend'of the pawl 32 out of the range of the ratchet teeth 34. I

,. Another'stud 36 on the frame 24 has pivotally mounted on it awedge'lever 37 which has an arc-shaped beveled blade portion 38 normallypositioned in the groove between the disk 21 and the clutch disk 19formed by the-latter having its edge'beveled. A lug 3901a the wedgelever 37 ,however, engages ashoulder '40 of the cam member 28 sothattheswinging movement of the cam member incident 'to the back-firing ofthe engine causes said shoulder 40 to force the arm 39 ahead of it andthus swing thewedge lever 37 tofforce cam blade 38 between the ratchetdisk. 21 and the clutch'disk 19, thus sliding theflatter on the shaft 14until its clutch teeth22 become disengaged from the clutch teeth 23of'the ratchet disk. as shown in Fig.

' 6 The ratchetdisk 21 and the shaft, 14 are thus free t'oturn' withoutturning the crank handle until the engine ceases to oneratein itsreverse'direction. The wedge lever 37 is limited in itsthrow by engaginga yielding stop .pin'41 which is spring pressed and slid- Saidlever isheld in its thrown position byh'i the pawlto the turning of the ratchetdisk" in its 'counternormal direction is not for thepurpose'ofpreventing such movement but is pressed to disengage it from the notch35,

and the cam member 28 thus released is swung back to its normal positionby press: ing the finger against a spring pressed plunger 43 which isslidably mounted in the cam member and engages the tail end of the pawlso that the pawl is first swung to the dotted line position in Fig. 3where it will clear the ratchet teeth 34. Further pressure on theplunger 43 will swing the cam member 28 to its normal position where thedog 29 will engage the notch 30. I The shoulder 40 of the cam memberpassing beyond the arm 39 of the wedge lever permits the spring action'of the" stop pin 41 to withdraw the wedge lever from between the disks21 and 19 so that the clutch engagement between the crank handle and thestarting shaft is restored.

It will be undestood that the presence of this invention does notinterfere with the use'of the starting crank in the ordinary way, thestarting shaft becoming coupled with the engine crank shaft by arearward pressure on the crank handle, and when this engagement iseffected the crank shaft of the engine may be turned by revolving thecrank handle as usual. Immediately upon the occurrence of a back firingof the engine which tends to drive the crank handle in theoppositedirection from that-in which it is being turned by hand, thefirst movement of the starting shaft in this reverse direction causesthe ratchet to swing the cam member,'and

\ the latter to swing the wedge lever to a position where it will forcethe clutch disk out of its clutch engagement with the ratchet disk, thusdisconnecting the crank'handle from the starting shaft and keeping itdisconnected until the-parts are again restored to their normalcondition. All danger from cranking the engine by hand is thus avoidedby a mechanism which maybe readilysubstituted for the ordinary crankmechanism withoutrmaterial alteration. H l

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is'z, 1 V

1. A starting crank for gas engines, comprising a movably supportedframe, a starting shaft mounted on'the frame and movable into and out ofcoupling engagement with an engine shaft, a crank handle loosely mountedon the starting shaft and having a clutch connection therewith, andmeans mounted on the frame operated by a turning of the starting shaftin a reverse direction for moving the crank handle out of its a clutchengagement with the starting shaft. ablv mounted in a lug 42' on theframe 24.4%

"2; A starting crank for gas engines, com;

prising a movably supported-frame, a start ing shaft loosely mountedtherein and movable into and out of coupling engagement with an engineshaft,a crank handle loosely mounted on the starting shaft and having aclutch connection therewith, and means on the frame for moving the crankhandle out of its clutch connection with the starting shaft operated bya rotary movement of the crank shaft in a reverse direction.

3. A starting crank for gas engines, comprising. a movably supportedframe, a starting shaft mounted thereon and capable of movement into andout of coupling engagement with an engine shaft, a crank handle havingclutch connection with the starting shaft, a ratchet carried by thestarting shaft, a pawl membermounted on the frame and engaging theratchet and adapted to be moved by the ratchet when the starting shaftturns in a reverse direction, and means operated by such movements ofthe pawl for disengaging the clutch connection between the crank handleand the starting shaft.

4. A starting crank fOr gas engines, comprising a suitably supportedframe, a starting shaft mounted thereon capable of move ment into andout of coupling engagement with an engine shaft, a ratchet diskon thestarting shaft provided with clutch teeth, a crank handle looselymounted on the starting shaft and provided with a disk and clutch teeth,a spring for holding the crank handle in position to engage its clutchteeth with the clutch teeth of the ratchet diskya member pivotallymounted on the frame and having engagement with the ratchet teeth of theratchet disk to be moved thereby when the crank shaft rotates in areverse direction, and a wedge operated by the movements of the saidmember to force its way between the two disks and thereby separate theclutch teeth to disengage the crank handle from the ratchet disk.

5. Astarting crank for gas engines, comprising a suitably supportedframe, a starting shaft mounted thereon capable of movement into and outof coupling engagement with an engine shaft, a ratchet disk fixed on thestarting shaft and provided with clutch teeth, a crank handle looselymounted on the starting shaft and provided with a disk and clutch teeth,a spring for holding the crank handle in position to engage its clutchteeth with the clutch teeth of the ratchet disk, a shouldered memberpivotally mounted on the frame and having connection with the ratchetteeth of the ratchet disk and adapted to be moved thereby when thestarting shaft rotates in a reverse direction, a wedge lever pivotallymounted on the frame and engaged by the shoulder of said member andmoved between the two disks to force the clutch teeth out of engagement.

6. A starting crank for gas engines, comprising a suitably supportedframe, a starting shaft mounted therein and capable of movement into andout of coupling engage shoulder of said member and having a wedgesurface adapted to be forced between the two disks for disengaging theclutch teeth upon a rotation of the starting shaft in a reversedirection.

7. A starting crank for gas engines, com prising a suitably supportedframe, a starting shaft mounted therein and capable of movement into andout of coupling connection with an engine shaft, a ratchet disk fixed onthe starting shaft and provided with clutch teeth, a crank handleloosely mounted on the starting shaft and provided with a clutch diskhaving clutch teeth, a spring bearing on the crank handle for holding itnormally in position to engageits clutch teeth with the clutch teeth ofthe ratchet disk, a shouldered member pivotally mounted on the frame, aspring pressed pawl thereon engaging the ratchet teeth of the ratchetdisk, a dog engaging notches in the shouldered member for holding it inits difierent positions, a spring pressed releasing member in theshouldered member engaging the pawl for moving itout of the .range ofthe ratchet teeth, a wedge lever settles at this patent may be obtainedfor flve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of ratentt,Washington, D. G.

